SAA Provincial Challenge - Pool B
A thrilling match between Easterns and Namibia ended in a draw at Windhoek as the visitors managed to cling on. Namibia set them 275 and they made game chase before losing five wickets for 24 runs to be in some bother at 173 for 7 and open the door for Namibia. Bjorn Kotze and Deon Kotze were the brothers grimly determined and they took those five wickets between them, but their side managed to take just one more wicket, dismissing Brendon Reddy. But that was not before he and EP Nyawo had stabilised Easterns with a match-saving stand of 29 for the eighth wicket. Revelation Plaatje also did his bit, standing firm for 26 balls for an unbeaten 10 as Namibia's hopes of the win faded.
Over at East London, Eastern Province completed what was in the end a comfortable 106-run victory against Border. After low-scoring first-innings efforts from both sides, EP extended their slender 32-run lead to 261, before declaring. Border's chase was delayed by 20 minutes because of a shower but rain couldn't save them from slip-sliding away to 155 all out in 50 overs. They lost both openers with just 2 on the board and then after Matthew Richardson fell, Deon Carolus spearheaded a big collapse, taking four of the six wickets to fall for 30 runs. Bryan Voke and Phaphama Fojela struggled through a brave ninth-wicket stand of 58, but it wasn't enough and the innings folded with a good 20 overs left on the clock.
The other Pool B match, plus the only A match (Mpumalanga v Free State) will appear here soon.
SAA Provincial Cup - Pool B
The two sides met again in the cup and again Namibia had the edge, completing a thumping seven-wicket win with 7.4 overs to spare. Easterns were sent in first and were soon in trouble at 100 for 6, as they lost three wickets for eight runs in a middle-order wobble. Once more at Windhoek they relied on their lower order to chip in vital runs, Sean O'Connor and Brendon Reddy both making forties to boost them past 200. As it was 209 proved an insubstantial total, as Tatenda Taibu and Gerrie Snyman butchered their way to an unbeaten third-wicket stand of 171 to take their side home at a canter. Taibu blasted 65 from 116 balls, but Snyman's effort was spectacular - 116 from just 91 balls. His knock included six fours and eight sixes, one of which fittingly closed proceedings.
A report on Mpumulanga's tussle with Free State, the only other cup match this round, will appear here soon.